1- Introduction to the Tribe Vaccinieae Rchb. - Blueberry tribe

1.2- Tribe Vaccinieae Rchb. - Blueberry tribe+ OverviewVaccinieaeRchb. is a tribe of over 1000 species in the subfamily Vaccinioideae, in the plant Family Ericaceae of the order Ericales. The tribe consists of morphologically diverse woody plants. Species within Vaccinieae can be found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Genetic analysis indicates that Vaccinieae is a monophyletic group.+ Distribution The blueberry tribe (Vaccinieae) is a large and morphologically diverse group that is widespread in the temperate and tropical zones of most continents. The greatest species diversity is in the tropics, where Vaccinieae are a major component of montane cloud forests.

3- Two Important Genera of the Tribe Vaccinieae Rchb. thet have edible fruits

3.1- The Genus Gaylussacia Kunth - Huckleberry+ OverviewGaylussacia is a genus of about fifty species of flowering plants in the tribe Vaccinieae, in the subfamily Vaccinioideae, in the the family Ericaceae of the order Ericales. It is native to the Americas, where they occur in eastern North America and in South America in the Andes and the mountains of southeastern Brazil (the majority of the known species). Common English names include huckleberry (shared with plants in several other genera) and "dangleberry".+ Classification Gaylussacia is named in honor of the French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850). It is closely related to Vaccinium, and it is still unclear whether the commonly understood line between Vaccinium and Gaylussacia is justified. A 2002 paper found that molecular data did not support past divisions of Gaylussacia into sections.

3.2- The Genus Vaccinicum L.+ OverviewVacciniumL. is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberryor whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry. Like many other ericaceous plants, they are generally restricted to acidic soils.Synonyms: 1- Oxycoccus Hill 2- Polycodium Raf. 3- Batodendron Nutt.+ Distribution and habitat The genus contains about 450 species, which are found mostly in the cooler areas of the Northern Hemisphere, although there are tropical species from areas as widely separated as Madagascar and Hawaii. Plants of this group typically require acidic soils, and as wild plants they live in habitats such as heath, bog and acidic woodland (for example, blueberries under oaks or pines). Blueberry plants are commonly found in oak-heath forests in eastern North America.